Solving the DNC Florida Michigan Fiasco

There are a lot of issues that need to be considered by both campaigns and the DNC in the solution to this utterly asinine situation the Democratic Party finds itself in at this point in our political history. There is not a perfect, every person will be tickled pink, solution there is however a fair and simple solution. Regardless of what the DNC decides to do the solution will have to take into account several issues but party unity and upholding the core principle the party stands for, every vote counts, must be upheld in any solution, but as I have stated the solution must be fair.

From the DNC point of view: The Clinton campaign has proven it can and will take large states. The statistics show that the Clinton campaign’s only issue has been the caucuses, we will not discuss the allegations in reference to the caucusing behavior by one of the campaigns, at this time however it will be a polarizing issue for Clinton supporters which are the DNC base; the DNC can not ignore that in November these states and these supporters are huge issues if they want to get the republicans out. There is the possibility that some of this newly energized electorate will not be so energized in November or after and that is a consideration for the DNC, which is highly reflected in the vast difference between caucus results and ballot results. There is also the polarization of both candidates to consider. One candidate has a very youthful idealistic base and lacks much of a moderate base, the other candidate has a much more moderate base which as proven longevity. One of the biggest considerations for the DNC is November and party strength. The party can ill afford the backlash of their very core base, although it seems they have been aggressively courting that very thing. The suggestions to date in reference to the unwanted unappreciated uncounted states of Michigan and Florida are creating ill will day by day and the longer these voters feel unwanted and un appreciated the worse it will be for the democrats in November in two extremely strategic states. Another major weight on the back of the DNC right now is Puerto Rico’s primary is not until June 6th, and should McCain, the republican nominee, spend months campaigning against two candidates rather than having a focused situation prior to the symbolic naming of the nominee, the nominee will have lost considerable campaign time and given a distinct advantage to McCain. Lastly the DNC and its chairman Howard Dean need to save face and reinstill the concept of the very committee that created the fiasco…everyone counts.

The states were punished and in the case of Michigan it was a severe punishment. Potentially millions of dollars were lost in state and local revenue due to the lack of the candidate’s inability to campaign in Michigan a state that has been devastated by the economy and so desperately needed those funds. Florida is a state which a major source of income is tourism and the campaigning there would of course been a boon to state and local economies as well, which they did not experience due to the non campaign agreement insisted on by the DNC and agreed to by both candidates.

What needs to happen:
Howard Dean needs to come out and apologize to the states of Michigan and Florida and explain that a grievous error occurred one that was never intended to occur. The DNC never intended to attempt to negate or nullify votes; however they have worked feverously to find a fair solution that will count all votes as is one of the DNC’s core principles. It was never the DNC’s intent to punish voters for voting rather to have states follow the DNC calendar. The calendar issue will have to be re-visited in the very near future and corrected to be fair and equitable to all states. The votes cast by the residence of Michigan and Florida will stand as voted, the “uncommitted” portion of the vote in Michigan should be split between the two other viable candidates at the time which was Obama and Edwards. These are not caucusing states and the states have suffered enough economic punishment to impose new elections would be far too severe a punishment.
Allow the remainder of the primary season to go as it will.

I am well aware that the Obama campaign will argue with this vehemently; however their candidate has his own dirty laundry in reference to the states in question and to argue that he did not campaigned in Florida, is a lie and a moot argument, as the candidate did campaign in Florida prior to the ban, his chief complaint seems to be he was not allowed to cover the state with out of state college students the week of the primary, it is volume less complaint, nor is the complaint you hear so very frequently that he wasn’t on the ballot in Michigan, well he should thank himself for that and no one else. He made a choice he will have to live with his choice; I know that isn’t a popular option in politics. I live in Michigan and despite a ban on campaigning here I can assure you Senator Obama had a campaign in Michigan, in particular in the Detroit area. I personally was approached by young people wearing “Barack” t-shirts and with Obama campaign posters, their campaign in Michigan consisted of “vote uncommitted”.

Should Clinton win Pennsylvania Senator Obama will need to be a unifier rather than an attempted destroyer if he wants his career to ever progress and with grace he should step away. I have no doubt that he would be quite capable of making a very stirring speech which will garner him much affection with the next voting generation and the earned goodwill certainly wont hurt him when he actually serves some time in an elected position in Washington.

I must warn the DNC demanding that Obama and Clinton run a joint ticket may possibly bite you in the bum. In the general election regardless of what the polling is saying now republican political action committees will rip him apart and put the brakes on any potential effectiveness he may have as a legislator he will not survive a general election against John McCain. The republican political action committees will in no uncertain terms pull all the moderate and right leaning democrat’s and leave Senator Obama with the far left only, which will only serve to diminish the party as a whole and give the republicans another 4 years.